A Happy Thanksgiving in Montana
by mangawolfgirl96
Summary: Kyouko's celebrating Thanksgiving with her honorary family in Montana, and things take an interesting turn when Lory, Maria and their host gift show up. Not to mention some good ol' fashion family bonding.First chapter extended.
1. Chapter 1

_Thanksgiving Day_

A private jet landed at Clark Airport, Lewistown early Thanksgiving evening, and three passengers exited the plane. The first a warmly dressed Eskimo-dressed Japanese man, followed by a young blonde girl in snow gear and, finally, by a tall hooded man. The trio climbed into a waiting car, the first man taking the driver's seat while the other two climbed in back, the remaining man's head still covered by a black hood, his hands and feet bound as well. It wouldn't do if their host's gift was to run off.

Kyouko set the third pot of stuffing on the huge dining table, before scurrying into the kitchen to bring out another plate of asparagus. She'd been invited to Winnett, Montana to have Thanksgiving with her adoptive parents and her Okaa-san's little brother's family, and without a second thought she accepted. The frosty chill that had hit her the Monday morning her flight landed at Clark Airport had came as a bit of surprise, but after shrugging into her new cousins' extra winter clothes, Kyouko found herself nice and toasty warm.

Kyouko, her Otou-san, Kim—Okaa-san's sister-in-law—, Hannah—Kim's eldest—, James—Hannah's father—, Macy—James' youngest—, and Okaa-san helped set the giant plate of three turkeys unto the table set for ten, and all of them breathed a sigh of relief that they made it without incident. All that was left to start the feast were the last four diners: James' only son, Owen, and three other mystery guests. Okaa-san and Otou-san had refused to tell Kyouko who else was coming.

Hearing the door open and a loud bellow of "Where's the food," James and Kim exchanged glances. Their middle child, and only son, was home from college. God help them. They weren't worried about him being rude to the guests. The couple was worried that he'd start hitting on his honorary cousin. She was Kuon's whether Owen wanted her or not. So maybe it wasn't a definite claim, but it was pretty obvious from the interactions Julie and Kuu had told them about, even more so with how the beautiful young actress talked about her senpai. It was ironic that the two were so dense, so much in love, and still nursing old, festering wounds. Adding their Casanova son to the mix was just begging for trouble. Especially since good ol' Owen loved a challenge.

The tall blonde college sophomore dropped his bags in his old bedroom and came into the kitchen expecting all the usually people: Aunt Julie, Uncle Kuu, Hannah the mean, Macy the irritating, his loving parents, maybe cousin Kuon and the ever eccentric Lory Takarada. He'd stopped asking about the last one when he was five. (Those conversations usually left him mentally scarred.) But nothing prepared him for the young, pretty brunette carving the turkeys with Uncle Kuu's help.

Right then Owen would've bet all of his family's lives that the brunette wasn't actually a part of the family, but something like Takarada: someone who had gotten absorbed into the Swan and Hizuri family circle.

Oh ho, Christmas came early!

Uh-oh. Macy knew that look. Her older brother had found a new target, and the only available attractive female in the house, who he wasn't yet related to, was Kyouko. Oh, Lords, there was going to be a brawl when Kuon got here. She just hoped they took it out side. Last time those two fought they got blood in the carpet and Macy had to scrub it out. Not fun by the way.

Totally oblivious, Kyouko greeted the new brown-eyed addition with her usually warmth and polite manners. Owen returned the greeting and introduced himself. "Now may I ask how someone as pretty as you ended up in this frozen over place?"

He watched, in amazement, as the amber eyed girl waved off the compliment. "You extravagate, just like your parents. Kuu and Julie invited me since they consider me their daughter and wanted to share me with the rest of the family."

"Yeah?" the blonde playboy asked, moving his chair a little closer to hers as everyone else started dishing up.

The brunette edged her chair in response and extended the silence between the two as she asked Okaa-san to pause the stuffing, but the diversion only lasted so long and the increasingly irritating man tried to reengage in conversation.

"So what do you do for a living, Kyouko? Or are you still in school?"

"I'm attending a special high school for entertainers while working as an actress at LME."

"LME, that's Uncle Kuu's old company right?"

The young woman smiled patiently, murmuring an agreement and hoping the less than bright college student would start stuffing his mouth with food so he would stop interrupting her conversation with his father about stage acting, which the president had been insisting she try. Owen had once again tried to capture her attention when the back door opened and a hooded figure was thrown in, followed by "We brought gifts!" everyone winced, aside from the oddball president of LME and perhaps the hooded man. Taking pity on the poor man lying face down on the carpet bound by rope, Kyouko sat him up and removed his hood. You can imagine her horror to find none other than her senpai, Tsuruga Ren, underneath the black canvas sack, looking a little worse for wear with a slightly purplish left jaw and eye.

Ren squinted, not having seen light in more than a good twelve hours (what the hell had that bag been made of?). He'd been dragged into an unmarked SUV, blindfolded, then bound and finally loaded onto a plane. He sure as hell didn't think he'd end up in his aunt's and uncle's dining room with Kyouko worriedly fusing over his injuries…Whoa. Back up. Kyouko was in the-middle-of-nowhere, Montana with Uncle James' family? If Owen had so much as touched a hair on her head…

Stewing silently, Owen did his best not to pout. But it wasn't far! Kuon always got the good ones first, and he didn't like to share until he was done with them. Judging by the uncontained fury in his older cousin's eyes, Owen didn't think he'd be getting a turn soon, if ever. Damn it. Maybe he should have gone into acting instead of medicine.

Seeing Kuon raising from the floor, despite Kyouko's protests, Owen figured he should have made a run for it. He just didn't think the man had gotten _that_ fast. He had a good fifteen second head start, and the long-legged bastard caught up with him before he made it half way to the tree line, a mere twenty feet from the front steps. That running tackle had hurt too, even with the soft snow. What had the actor been doing the last six years? Weight training? The body mass certainly felt right as he was flattened into a human pancake. Owen wasn't sure he remembered who had gotten the big lug off him.

Julie had seen it coming the instant Lory had informed her and Kuu that Kuon would be attending this Thanksgiving celebration, whether he liked it or not. But, by God, that boy must've grown another foot of leg and doubled his leg muscles to catch up with her cute little nephew that quickly. Owen had been the ace of his high school track team for long distance and sprints; he'd carried his team to Nationals and won during his four years of high school.

She grabbed one black arm while Kyouko grabbed the other as Kim stood by to haul her son away from the unforgiving weight of Julie's boy. They pulled and managed to get the actor up and hold him back, while Kim got her own son up and back a good five feet.

"Owen, speak to me, honey," she kept muttering, trying to see just how bad it was this time. He'd gotten off with just a broken jaw last time, but men in love tended to be a bit crazed when it concerned their girl.

"Ma, can you please explain to that thousand pound sack of shit I didn't do a damn thing!" he shouted, sitting up.

Kyouko's amber eyes flared at the older boy's words and she released Tsuruga-san's arm, one intention in mind. Winding up her arm, Kyouko socked Owen right under his left jaw with a pushing right hook, a hundred vengeful spirits add their strength to hers.

His eyes rolled for a moment before he passed out, and Kyouko turned haughtily, walking back to ensure Tsuruga-san got back inside the house before going after Owen again. No one insulted her senpai and got away with it.


	2. Punishment

Have a happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

* * *

Owen winced, touching his jaw tentatively. That damn cousin of his had managed to dislocate his jaw and sprain his right wrist, which meant he wouldn't be able to efficiently take notes or do the scheduled dissection when he went back to Harvard. If he failed this quarter, Kuon had better be prepared for when he flew to Japan to give the actor a beating that would put his running tackle to shame. _Let's see how happy pretty boy was after he had to film with broken bones, and bruises,_ Owen thought viciously.

Normally he would have already done that to the second offender, seeing as they weren't family, but he'd been raised better than to hit a woman, no matter how stupid or violent. It didn't hurt that she was moderately pretty, but the fact that she hovered around Kuon like some mother hen protecting her chick did. Seriously, the actor might have gotten a little cold from touching the snow, but Owen was the one sporting visible wounds, the bloody lip caused by the aforementioned actress. He just didn't get it. Girls were supposed to love doctors and victims, but this chick went straight for the attacker and fussed over that bastard. Life was so unfair.

Ren glanced in his cousin's direction and smiled a little at his small cousin's irate glare. It seemed his tackle had been somewhat justified, even though it seemed Kyouko's punch was more for her benefit than his. Not that he minded too much and it also made him a little wary of ticking her off. Those self-defense lessons the president had suggested were really paying off. Was the much older man ever wrong? Because the actor was certainly having his doubts and that was more than a little unnerving, especially since said man had seemed rather pleased with himself as he made sure no one made another go for the second year med student. Everyone one else was in the dining room enjoying their Thanksgiving meal while both of the bruised boys were treated and received the punishment of no dinner until they came up with something better. Ren was lucky Lory had been nominated supervisor and not allowed to suggest any ideas for the punishment. He shuddered at the thought of what the eccentric man would decide as a punishment.

"Done," Kyouko announced, snapping the first aid kit shut and sent Owen a mild glare since he had yet to be redeemed in her eyes. She held out the white plastic box to him, seeing as he was injured, but he just looked at it. She scowled at him, dumping it on the table beside the love seat he sat on. What idiot studying to be a doctor didn't treat their wounds? She knew his wrist was sprained by the way he gingerly used it, and his face was a little bruised from falling into rocks hidden under the snow. The man had also complained, very loudly, about how Ren had dislocated his jaw. Kyouko didn't blame her senpai even the littlest bit. She herself was tempted to do a little more than dislocate it and see if he could still complain then.

Owen looked at the white box for a long moment before cautiously opening it. He hadn't actually been watching what the actress had done with the first aid kit and wouldn't put it past either of those two crazies to somehow booby-trap it. He wrapped his wrist with gauze before breaking one of the instant ice peaks and gingerly pressing it against his jaw. It was still sore and talking hadn't been the best idea. He looked up as his mother, willowy and blonde, stepped into the parlor and knew he too was in trouble when she casted an all-encompassing, scolding look around the room. "Your punishment has been decided."

To say the least, neither Ren or Owen were pleased. It was one thing to shovel snow from the front and back steps, but the _entire_ yard, in the few hours left of day light, together? At least, both Swan descendents thought with a wince as they glanced up at the top of the house, they didn't have to shovel snow off the roof. That job had been assigned to the budding actress and she made her displeasure know by dumping, dropping, or throwing snow at the unsuspecting targets below. And she was part of the reason clearing the snow off the front yard was taking much longer than necessary. Well, that and the fact it had starting snowing again.

Ren used the back of his luminescent yellow snow glove to brush snow, slush, and sweat off his brow, leaning against the handle of his long shovel. It had been years since he'd shoveled snow and he was definitely feeling the effects in his back and arms. He took a little comfort in the fact Owen wasn't fairing much better, seeing as he was taking a break face down in the snow. Ren had been awful tempted to shovel snow on top of his younger cousin, but had refrained, knowing the blonde would be more useful shoveling than buried under a foot or so of snow.

Just about to heave a shovel full of snow into the woods, Ren startled at a high pitched scream originating from the house. He turned to see a shadowy figure fall down the two story drop and land almost soundlessly beside east wall. His heart in his soles, the actor made leaps through the snow drifts but stop short upon hearing a shouted rant. It seemed Kyouko had had a soft landing while Owen's had been rather…flattening. Again.

"You idiot! Didn't Dad or Mom or Uncle Kuu or Aunt Julie tell you to tie a rope around your waist and anchor yourself to the chimney?" he demanded, sore from both being knocked down a second time and shoveling snow. "Geez, what are you? A baby? Of course the roof is slippery and covered in ice! It's freaking Montana! Do you expect to be pampered, princess? Like you are in Tokyo? Well, news flash, girly, this is the US of A, and you aren't shit here."

Ren expected Kyouko to punch the blonde out, slap him, or even burst into tear, not regard his cousin coldly, drawling, "Look who's talking. I didn't see you here early slaving in the kitchen like the rest of us, Ren, Maria and Mr. Takarada aside. During the beginning of dinner, you refuse to let me converse with anyone else because the almighty Owen Swan was seated next to me and wanted to drown me in meaningless, egotistical flattery. Who's the real princess here, Owen?" With that snappy retorted, the young woman spun on her heels and stomped through the snow to the ladder on the opposite side of the house. Poor Owen was left wordlessly gawking after the fiery actress. Ren didn't think even he could have come up with a retort after that.

Round two went to Kyouko as well.

"Come on, Owen," Ren said, sprinkling some snow in the younger man's hood, "if we don't finish soon, we'll just have to come back during the day and do it."

The college student grunted his agreement and picked up his discarded shovel. If they had to come back out, that bottomless pit he called an uncle would eat the last of his mom's pumpkin pie and that wouldn't do. He hadn't gotten any yet.

Kyouko fumed as she pushed and shoved snow over the edge of the roof. That arrogant bastard had dared to insinuate that she was _spoiled_! The nerve! She didn't have a spoiled bone in her body, unlike a certain musician who could use a few broken bones and other bruised anatomy. Darkly, the raven haired actress built a large snow ball, about the size of a large soccer ball, and punted it off the roof. She didn't wince until it struck her senpai, in the dead center of the head. She promptly stepped behind the chimney and ignored the sounds of an argument that drifted up from below. What Tsuruga-san didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.

...Right? Feeling a twang of guilt, she sent a silent pray to the gods that her normally kind senpai wouldn't reprimand Owen too harshly before she admitted to the mistake and asked for forgiveness. After she finished shoveling the roof and the two men finished the yard that is.

Finally clearing the last of the snow, she lumbered down the ladder and headed inside to stripe off her snow gear, take a long hot bath and go to bed. She'd apologize tomorrow if she remembered.

About half an hour later, the two men came in, freezing cold and only slightly more agreeable to showering and bathing in the same bathroom than being outside and still shoveling. The punishment was definitely apt, since none of the three were thinking of repeating the day's events.


End file.
